Thursday, May 10, 2012
Mansfield selectmen approve the Comcast Center entertainment license after a lengthy debate about injury and disability liability.
The Mansfield Board of Selectmen approved the Comcast Center entertainment license on Wednesday 4-1 with new chair Olivier Kozlowski opposed. The license came into some discussion concerning a liability issue. The issue stems from an incident and incurring lawsuit when a reserve officer was injured while on detail at the venue. “We all know that we settled a case recently when an auxiliary police officer injured there and we ended up, because of the way the law was set up, having to pay for that disability,” Kozlowski said. The problem in the suit was that the town and the police department were completely liable for his disability payments (despite being from another town) after a lengthy lawsuit that was resolved last year. The liability…
The following is a brief summary of what took place at Wednesday's meeting.
The Mansfield Board of Selectmen voted 4-1 with Olivier Kozlowski against to approve the Comcast Center entertainment license. The big issue discussed during the proceedings was the issue of liability and indemnity concerning auxiliary and out-of-town police forces. While there has been only one issue in past years concerning liability when a reserve officer was injured on a detail at the venue in 2004. Town Manager William Ross said that the Cate Springs Well is now up and running. He also added that crack sealing projects on the roads are beginning in the coming weeks. Selectmen voted on new positions on Wednesday. Olivier Kozlowski was voted in as chair 4-1 with George Dentino against. Dentino was in turn voted 5-0 as vice chair, and…
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
The following is a short summary of events occurring at the May 2 Board of Selectmen meeting.
Mansfield selectmen held a long discussion concerning the recent resignation of six senior members of the Mansfield Finance Committee. The board agreed to contact said members to see if they would be agreeable to talk at the next selectmen meeting. Mansfield is now being held accountable for events in 1989. Town manager William Ross said that, because of changes in the New York State law, Mansfield is now requested to pay a settlement by an independent law firm regarding the then-legal dumping of 30 gallons of flammable chemicals into a state landfill. The settlement is $2,000, and Ross said that the settlement would be less than any legal fees it would take to contest it. Selectmen voted 5-0 to authorize Ross to pay the settlement by the …
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Taking funds from the Mansfield Electric PILOT (Payment in Lieu of Taxes) to turn on streetlights.
Streetlights in Mansfield have been a key issue for this year, and selectman/light commissioner George Dentino introduced an idea on Wednesday that could fund turning on over 1,000 lights in the town. “I don’t believe this will cover the entire cost for the town, but it’ll make a pretty good dent,” Dentino said. Mansfield Electric Department director Gary Babin said that 1,000 streetlights would need about $45,000 to turn back on in terms of labor. Dentino suggested that the board request funds from the Mansfield Electric PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) to pay for the $45,000. Commissioner Jess Aptowitz said he would support the idea if it was found that it possible to request those funds at this time. “I would wholeheartedly vote for …
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The following is a summary of issues discussed at the March 14 meeting of the Light Commissioners/Board of Selectmen.
The Mansfield Light Commissioners agreed to postpone deciding on whether or not to support the Northeast Public Power Association training program. The Mansfield Light Commission voted 5-0 to approve the FY13 Capital and Operating Budgets as presented by Mansfield Electric director Gary Babin. Mansfield Electric director Gary Babin gave a presentation on the financial state of the company in January 2012. Babin said that revenue was down year over by about 5 percent, mainly because of the loss of the ADM Chocolate Factory’s electricity input and output. The Commission approved a $1,000 donation for this year’s expenses of the Mansfield High School Robotics club. Commissioner George Dentino brought forth a motion that would allow the …
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
A summary of events and issues at the most recent Mansfield Selectmen meeting.
The Board of Selectmen heard a discussion from the chair of the Mansfield Building Committee regarding the Robinson school window project, specifically the prospect of hiring a project designer for the project. Selectmen heard a report from Andres Gazzolo of the Mansfield Housing Commission concerning the parking lots near the train station. They voted 5-0 to accept a new plan that would charge Mansfield residents $2 a day to park and out of town commuters $4 a day to park, bringing the residential price down $2, which will be effective on July 1 2012, after the new payment machines are in place. The report also suggested that there be one person responsible for the enterprise account, and that a maximum amount should be designated for the…
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Mansfield Selectmen approve measure to allow liquor to be sold in outside lots.
The Mansfield Board of Selectmen voted 3-1 on Wednesday to approve a proposed change in the Comcast Center's liquor license that would allow liquor to be sold in lots 10 and now 11 of the Comcast Center outside (pictured to the right) in the parking lots. The license stipulates that liquor could only be sold in one lot at a time or a split between the two totalling 144,000 square feet at one time. Comcast Center general manager Bruce Montgomery said that the spaces would be used for additional stages during festival concerts, like last year's Identity Festival, to have supplementary acts during a day-long event. "They really want to come back and they unstand the conflicts from last year," he said. "At no time will more than 144,000 square…
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
The following is a roundup of the Feb. 15 Mansfield Board of Selectmen Meeting.
Representatives from the Comcast Center and its owning company New England Sportservice came to ask the Selectmen for an alteration of premises for lots 10 and 11 at the Comcast Center to allow usage of about 144,000 square feet for alcohol sale. The board approved the measure 3-1 with George Dentino against and Kevin Moran absent. The board approved 4-0 the change of managerial responsibilities from an ex employee to Emily Carr. The board shared their evaluation of town manager William Ross. In seven catagories, he scored above 9 from most of the selectmen. He had an overall average of 9.82 out of 10. The board voted 4-0 to keep working with the Attleboro Taunton Home Consortium for another three years starting on July 1, 2012. Town …
Monday, January 23, 2012
Three-year old decision to save energy may be overturned.
Things may brighten up considerably in Mansfield, as the town's light department works to bring back burnt out streetlights. It may also be possible to reverse a three-year-old decision that turned out every other streetlight as a cost savings measure, and light every street fully, but no decision has been made in that regard because of the cost. Mansfield has 2891 streetlights, 1068 of which have been intentionally turned off, reported light department director Gary Babin to the commissioners last week. Complaints have been coming in about dark and dangerous streets for some time, but escalated in the fall with the yearly demise of daylight savings time. Light commissioners responded by directing the light department to find all burnt out…
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Selectmen vote to pay cash for new substation.
Selectmen decided to go for broke Wednesday and voted 4-1 to pay cash on the line for the town's new substation in East Mansfield. The vote not to bond a large municipal building project is rare, and so is the amount of money the department has amassed over the years, and the board reasoned the approximately $9 million set aside in operating cash offers plenty of reserves for capital needs. The department also has accumulated another $8 million in depreciation and stabilization. Selectmen, in their dual roles as board and light commission, wrestled with the decision while listening to two sides of the argument from finance committee member Thomas Ratliff and Mansfield Town Manager Bill Ross. Ross had been conferring with bank consultants …
